The prime time for birdwatching on Dongtou’s Bird Island is now upon us

June 5th marked the 53rd World Environment Day, and Dongtou Luxi Bird Island welcomed back many of its“old friends”. These avian visitors soared freely along the coastline, playfully calling out and painting a vibrant ecological tapestry. Recently, the bird island has entered the peak nesting season for seabirds, presenting an awe-inspiring spectacle of“thousands of gulls flocking together”. Undoubtedly, this is the optimal time of the year for birdwatching on the island.

Dongtou’s Bird Island, located northeast of Luxi Island, is rich in marine life and seafood resources, providing an optimal natural environment for birds to thrive and breed. It is the only provincial-level marine bird island nature reserve in Dongtou. To date, over 10,000 birds of 63 species have been recorded, including 7 second-class nationally protected species like the Osprey, Crested Goshawk, Besra, Common Buzzard, Kestrel, Eurasian Hobby, and Peregrine Falcon, as well as 9 provincially key protected species.

“Migratory birds typically reside here from May to September, breeding 2-4 times a year, with the peak around the Dragon Boat Festival,” explained an official from the Dongtou Natural Resources and Planning Bureau. During this period, thousands of gulls can be seen soaring over the waters surrounding the southern part of the island, presenting a magnificent sight.

The Bird Island is divided into northern and southern sections, each with its own distinct landscape. The southern part is dominated by shrubs, attracting species like the yellow-billed egret and common buzzard for nesting, while the lush vegetation in the northern part, including a forest planted in the 1950s, draws in more forest birds.

At present, the Bird Island has established several birdwatching viewpoints and offers guided tours, allowing visitors to deeply understand the natural landscape, history and culture of the island, and to experience the joy of exploring nature. Going forward, a shore-based birdwatching platform equipped with high-powered telescopes, bird science exhibits, and VR holographic observation technology will be constructed, enabling visitors to observe the birds without venturing out to sea.

Last year, Dongtou launched the Luxi Bird Island sea tour route for the first time, which was widely praised by tourists. On May 18 this year, the newly upgraded“2024 Luxi Bird Island Marine Ecological Sightseeing Tour” officially set sail, and tourist reservations have been constant, with the average passenger load factor of the ships reaching 51%.

It has been reported that in recent years, Luxi Township has taken various protection measures for the“haven” of the Bird Island, laying special emphasis on preserving its ecological environment. An initiative called the“Dongming Bird Team” has been launched, mobilizing village representatives, volunteers, and fishermen during the fishing moratorium to carry out environmental remediation and patrol management around the Bird Island. To enhance the living conditions of migratory birds, Luxi Township has also initiated ecological improvement and restoration projects for Nanbeipan Mountain protected areas, a forest renovation project for the northern section of Nanbeipan Mountain, and allocated special funds for the protection and management of the Bird Island. Meanwhile, some bird attraction projects have been in place to invite more birds for nesting and breeding.

“Thanks to the sound ecological environment, we’ve seen an increase in the number of tourists watching and photographing birds, which in turn has invigorated our tourism industry,” said a representative from the Luxi Township government. The blending of ecological preservation with the growth of eco-tourism has become a consensus among the locals.

The revamped Luxi Bird Island Marine Ecological Sightseeing Tour now offers tickets at a price of 100 yuan per person, with group discounts available. The journey begins at Luxi Pier and leads to the Bird Island platform, with a one-way sailing duration of approximately 40 minutes. A stopover at the Bird Island viewing platform allows tourists to soak in the views for around 20 minutes, bringing the total tour time to approximately 100 minutes.

This year, the seating capacity of the sightseeing ships has been expanded from 25 to 75 seats. The ships depart regularly at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and sightseeing services are extended in the form of chartered ship reservations.

Tourists wishing to go ashore for birdwatching are recommended to buy tickets through the Dongtou“Chao Hui Wan” WeChat mini-program. After purchasing the tickets, you will receive information about the boat trip via a text message or a phone call within 24 hours.(ZhongXin)